Extinct Attractions is kinda weird when you think about it. The Disney Company, whether you like to admit it or not, likes to try and make money wherever it can. Fans of Disneyland want to know more of the park's history. David Oneal then has interviews, edits videos, and sells DVDs covering the history of certain attractions of Disneyland and people start to buy these DVDs. Disney then steps in and tells David he can't be selling that kind of stuff...yet they themselves don't take up the opportunity that was left by David. The fans desire more detailed and in depth documentary looks at the history of Disneyland with comprehensive interviews with key people as well as vintage footage and concept art of said attractions; and the fans have shown that they were willing to pay for these documentary videos to boot. Yet aside from like a small handful of documentaries that take a broad look at the park as a whole, Disney hasn't really stepped in to fill the niche. Which is surprising to me given the fact that it's pretty easy to produce as well as an easy moneymaker on the side of the profits.

Years ago when i worked for the company I thought of this very same thing (about the time Mr Toad was closing). I passed the idea to ever person I know stating I wanted no compensation for the idea. Everyone I spoke to loved the idea but somewhere higher up it kept getting squashed. Disney sends a professional video team through the ride with multi angle shots and puts it on dvd (this was back when multi angle dvd was a cool feature no one was using). Interview some of the imagineers who designed and built the attraction. Throw concept art in there, model views, various story ideas, point out the hidden mickeys and other gags, showcase how it's changed over the years. Sell it and make some money by closing an attraction and maybe people will be slightly less angry if they can keep their "favorite ride" forever.

Everyone I spoke to loved the idea but somewhere higher up it kept getting squashed.

This is the problem when companies become too large, particularly entertainment companies. You have a large grouping of creative people with a constant flow of ideas being controlled by people and committees (where good ideas go to die) who know nothing about what it takes to create the product they sell. Everyone I know that still works for the company just puts their head down and tries to ignore this fact, everyone I know that left the company pretty much left due to some variation of this fact.

I think back to the commercials for Indiana Jones Adventure and The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror. Not only can they send in a film crew to get shots both from a POV and multiple angles outside of the ride vehicle, but Disney could sprinkle in some extra magic if they so desired to. Have all the animatronics running in tip top shape, maybe add additional set dressings like cobwebs, rocks, debris, and maybe even fog to spice up a scene. And most importantly in the future days to come people will look back on these videos and say "Yeah, that is pretty awesome." instead of looking back at some videos and saying "Wow, did the company even care at all?"

Also not forgetting to mention that a lot of the Imagineers are getting old. If you don't take up the opportunity like David Oneal did, you will lose that part of an attractions history forever. (Which is coincidentally why I get a bit mad when people go to D23 but they don't film and upload to YouTube the panels where older Imagineers and park employees talk/show their experiences at Disneyland.)

I can guess at what happens with this kind of thing. It will make money but how much? What percentage? Not enough, so they don't do it. They don't think of the other value this type of thing will create, they think bottom line now. This is how big companies turn to shit.

Honestly it's amazing that Disney doesn't like to showcase the old attractions. Even if it was a simple mini museum of old attractions, I know that Walt himself ripped out old rides and changed things up. Otherwise you get stale.. The fact they hide the old history and don't mention it is utterly insane.

I've never understood this myself. And when you see things posted here that involve history which usually involves the construction of attractions and whatnot, it has to be marked as Not Safe For Magic.

As a serious question, why are some Disney fans so afraid of these bits of historical content? I understand not wanting to spoil an illusion, but there has to be a huge part of you that knows it's not "real"...I mean unless you're a young child. I personally find it very fascinating to see how a beloved attraction began as just an idea on paper and then ultimately watch it be fleshed out into a real thing.

In short, I find it a disgrace that Disney doesn't embrace their history a little more... they do a decent job of showcasing Walt, but why can't some of that love be spread out to more of the things he created? As well as the many, many things created after him?

There IS a documentary being made on the Imagineers currently, but I think it's set to come out next year... As they are adding in bits about Avatarland and Star Wars Land and Shanghai. I just want it to come out already!

As much as I'd love that, why would Disney want to broadcast the fact that they removed beloved attractions? No matter how amazing the concept art or presentation, at the end of it, they have to say, "And we ripped it out never to be experienced again." I'd honestly be a little offended if they put a little Tower of Terror model in the gift shop of the new Guardians ride. Or what if they put a Fort Wilderness model in this museum? Just let me in the real thing, I can see it sitting right there!

That said, its not like they completely ignore their own history. They did put the Skyway buckets in the Matterhorn after all. The Blue Sky Cellar would be a great place to showcase concept art and models of existing (or former) attractions. But I think you're more likely to see old attractions showcased at third party places like Walt Disney's Family Museum or Walt's Barn.

What's weird is that they know that the park's history is what is keeping it afloat today. I mean, they just dropped a trailer showcasing a ton of awesome items that were removed from the park, and that trailer has fans going crazy. I'd love to see some official Disney stuff showcasing the conception and construction of Disneyland attractions, even if they just do ones that are closed. But, for know, fan made documentaries will have to do.

I'm assuming everyone here has seen Disneyland Dream right? It's a home film from 1965 chronicling a family's trip to Disneyland- which they won through a Scotch tape contest. The filmmaker later added narration to it in the 90s. It is so fun to go back and watch these!

I saw the video years ago and I absolutely loved it. Not just because of Vintage Disneyland, but because the father had the foresight to document his entire trip and present it in a documentary-esque style with spliced footage and him being the narrator. What used to seemed very common; the flight, the bus tours, the parks and attractions, the hotels, the cars and the people, have evolved and changed over the years to become a thing of the past and not exist anymore. Never will you see the world like that in the snapshot ever again. It was so important that the film was put on the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being, and I quote, '"culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The National Film Registry cited its "fantastical historical snapshots" of early Southern California and the budding importance of the home movies in "American cultural studies as they provide priceless and authentic record of time and place."'

EDIT: Heck you can post it on the Subreddit too if you want to dip into more Disney Karma. Although I'd recommend the YouTube upload as the Archive.org upload can be finicky sometimes.